Questions for those who have had a breech baby

[Anonymous]

I tried Spinning Babies, I tried moxibustion, I tried my husband singing into my vagina, I tried handstands, I tried everything even some things so ridiculous I can't even believe I did them. Nothing worked. When you have a frank breech after 36 weeks the baby has to contort so much to move back into position, the odds are really against you.

[Anonymous]

I had 2 breech babies, both perfectly fine with no physical issues whatsoever. One was breech the whole time, the other landed that way late in the game and decided to stay butt down. I wasn't thrilled about having 2 c-sections, but in the end it really didn't matter how they arrived. Just so glad they're here.

[Anonymous]

Breech baby born by c-section 9 years ago. No ultrasound after 20 weeks, so we didn't know she was breech until the day she was born (no clue if she was frank breech).

Slight click in one hip at birth. Went to GU for x-rays at ~1 week, then again at ~12 weeks. At the 12 week appointment, she was given a harness to wear for 3 months. Seemed devastating at the time, but totally manageable.

Other complications: she had a ridge on her skull from being jammed up under my ribcage (she never descended). That went away on its own. She was evaluated for torticollis (wry neck), which didn't need any intervention beyond tummy time.

If you have a c-section, my advice is to remember that you are a surgical patient and make plans for being immobile at the hospital and have very restricted mobility at home (and no driving!).

DD has no lasting impact from hip dysplasia. She walked a bit on the late side of normal (14 months), but now plays soccer and just finished her first 5K. And loves skiing (black diamonds are her friend) and thinks she is a fish in the pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I tried Spinning Babies, I tried moxibustion, I tried my husband singing into my vagina, I tried handstands, I tried everything even some things so ridiculous I can't even believe I did them. Nothing worked. When you have a frank breech after 36 weeks the baby has to contort so much to move back into position, the odds are really against you.

Anything that could blow air into your vagina is actually really dangerous, PP. I hope other people don't try that one.

[Anonymous]

Go see Zinn Chiropractic in Takoma Park. I think she's what made the difference in our breech babe. I saw her every three days for two weeks and our baby flipped for us.

[Anonymous]

Heading in for a chiropractic appointment today to try out the Webster technique...I hope that it works because doctor is already scheduling the c-section (and said it has to be early in Week 39, she said it can't be pushed to the end of Week 39) and I'm at 36 right now. :/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I tried Spinning Babies, I tried moxibustion, I tried my husband singing into my vagina, I tried handstands, I tried everything even some things so ridiculous I can't even believe I did them. Nothing worked. When you have a frank breech after 36 weeks the baby has to contort so much to move back into position, the odds are really against you.

Anything that could blow air into your vagina is actually really dangerous, PP. I hope other people don't try that one.

Oh please. We were laughing so hard....

[Anonymous]

But thank you for preventing one of the thousands of needless deaths from Singing Vagina Syndrome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Heading in for a chiropractic appointment today to try out the Webster technique...I hope that it works because doctor is already scheduling the c-section (and said it has to be early in Week 39, she said it can't be pushed to the end of Week 39) and I'm at 36 right now. :/

Why is she pushing you so early?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But thank you for preventing one of the thousands of needless deaths from Singing Vagina Syndrome.

It's all fun and games until someone dies of an acute venous air embolism--a rare hazard for pregnant women that's been well understood since at least the 1950s. It's the same reason pregnant woman are warned about oral sex, and one has to admit, an absurdly tragic way to go, especially in the case of vagina singing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heading in for a chiropractic appointment today to try out the Webster technique...I hope that it works because doctor is already scheduling the c-section (and said it has to be early in Week 39, she said it can't be pushed to the end of Week 39) and I'm at 36 right now. :/

Why is she pushing you so early?

PP here (sorry OP, don't mean to hijack your post)- The doctor said they needed to schedule a c-section as early as possible to avoid me going into labor (said going into labor makes things risky). I haven't found any specific information saying that breech presentation babies need c-sections as early as possible or what specific risk factors exist if you happen to go into labor before the scheduled c-section (I've heard about hip dysplasia concerns), so if folks have any info, please share! When I talked with the scheduler about how late we could schedule it, they called me back to share that the doctor said absolutely not, we cannot push it to the end of Week 39- I am hoping it isn't because the end of Week 39 coincides with the week of Christmas and that it is truly about the wellness of the baby.

Until then, working on trying to get this baby to flip! I was hoping for a vaginal birth with little/no interventions, but in the end, as long as the baby is happy and healthy, I'll be happy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heading in for a chiropractic appointment today to try out the Webster technique...I hope that it works because doctor is already scheduling the c-section (and said it has to be early in Week 39, she said it can't be pushed to the end of Week 39) and I'm at 36 right now. :/

Why is she pushing you so early?

PP here (sorry OP, don't mean to hijack your post)- The doctor said they needed to schedule a c-section as early as possible to avoid me going into labor (said going into labor makes things risky). I haven't found any specific information saying that breech presentation babies need c-sections as early as possible or what specific risk factors exist if you happen to go into labor before the scheduled c-section (I've heard about hip dysplasia concerns), so if folks have any info, please share! When I talked with the scheduler about how late we could schedule it, they called me back to share that the doctor said absolutely not, we cannot push it to the end of Week 39- I am hoping it isn't because the end of Week 39 coincides with the week of Christmas and that it is truly about the wellness of the baby.

Until then, working on trying to get this baby to flip! I was hoping for a vaginal birth with little/no interventions, but in the end, as long as the baby is happy and healthy, I'll be happy!

I'm not an OB and I don't pretend to be one, but the only risk factor that is sometimes specific to breech babies is cord prolapse, but that's obviously more to do with whether or not your water breaks in a dramatic fashion. My OB (Tchabo, now basically retired) was willing to deliver breech DC vaginally (I ended up with a c-section as DC could not descend due to a massive tumor). Maybe there is a specific risk in your case? But I don't know, I might try to get a second opinion as all the newer evidence says not to deliver until 40 weeks. I know that labor is exhausting, if they know you're going have a c section they try to avoid labor, and if you really want your doc to deliver you have to get on the calendar. I am happy to be proven wrong but this does sound kind of convenient for the doctor. You can refuse to schedule until forty weeks if you want and if the doctor doesn't present a compelling reason for doing the surgery early.

By the way: I spent six weeks making myself nuts trying to make my baby flip. He didn't (and in my case, couldn't) and I really regret ruining the end of my pregnancy. I was so terrified of having the surgery instead of the home birth we had planned for. The surgery was traumatic only in that I didn't know what to expect specifically, I picked the "wrong" anesthesia, my child was in severe distress. I really, really wish I had spent the last weeks of my pregnancy enjoying, as much as one can, the final weeks and prepping myself mentally for surgery. Good luck to you, though! Report back!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heading in for a chiropractic appointment today to try out the Webster technique...I hope that it works because doctor is already scheduling the c-section (and said it has to be early in Week 39, she said it can't be pushed to the end of Week 39) and I'm at 36 right now. :/

Why is she pushing you so early?

PP here (sorry OP, don't mean to hijack your post)- The doctor said they needed to schedule a c-section as early as possible to avoid me going into labor (said going into labor makes things risky). I haven't found any specific information saying that breech presentation babies need c-sections as early as possible or what specific risk factors exist if you happen to go into labor before the scheduled c-section (I've heard about hip dysplasia concerns), so if folks have any info, please share! When I talked with the scheduler about how late we could schedule it, they called me back to share that the doctor said absolutely not, we cannot push it to the end of Week 39- I am hoping it isn't because the end of Week 39 coincides with the week of Christmas and that it is truly about the wellness of the baby.

Until then, working on trying to get this baby to flip! I was hoping for a vaginal birth with little/no interventions, but in the end, as long as the baby is happy and healthy, I'll be happy!

Is the baby footling breech? That can present a problem if your water breaks (cord prolapse).

My OB delivers breech babies vaginally (one of the few). I kind of thing your doctor is full of it and just wants a convenient delivery date.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But thank you for preventing one of the thousands of needless deaths from Singing Vagina Syndrome.

It's all fun and games until someone dies of an acute venous air embolism--a rare hazard for pregnant women that's been well understood since at least the 1950s. It's the same reason pregnant woman are warned about oral sex, and one has to admit, an absurdly tragic way to go, especially in the case of vagina singing.

I think you're doing it wrong.

[Anonymous]

Just found out that my baby is breech at 34 weeks (butt down) and I'm already slightly dilated. I had been hoping for a VBAC, but now it looks like a repeat C will be in my future... I'm curious, when did your OBs make the call about c section for breech? Or asked another way, what's the probability that my baby turns between now and 39 weeks?